Southwest Airlines has always been known for its unique open seating policy. With no assigned seats, boarding times were statistically a bit faster, especially for an airline which cycles in and out of gates faster than legacy carriers.
However, open seating has encouraged the worst of the worst, including those who try to save seats for their friends by placing items on empty seats. Then there are the dreaded line up of passengers claiming to need wheelchairs in order to board first. It’s always funny seeing them miraculously cured, being able to walk off the aircraft after their flight with no assistance needed.
Assigned seating and premium seats announced
After months of rumors, Southwest will finally put an end to that as they have announced that assigned seating is coming! Based on data collected from live and 8 million simulated boarding trials, they found that 80% of Southwest customers and 86% of potential customers preferred assigned seats over open seating.
It’s a big shift away from a policy that has been in place for 50 years, but the airline has conceded that times have changed and customers prefer the comfort of knowing up front where they will be seated. This is especially true on its longer segments such on its flights from the west coast to Hawaii.
On top of that, the airline has also announced premium seating with more legroom. They say approximately one-third of its cabin will be reconfigured offer more seat pitch, but did not confirm specifics of final layout is still in the works.
The airline is claiming that its new RECARO seats should be more comfortable than what is currently offered, but with previous rumors suggesting that they won’t be increasing its seat count, these new seats are most likely going to be much slimmer than what we’re currently accustomed to on Southwest.
“Moving to assigned seating and offering premium legroom options will be a transformational change that cuts across almost all aspects of the Company,” said Bob Jordan, President, CEO, & Vice Chairman of the Board. “Although our unique open seating model has been a part of Southwest Airlines since our inception, our thoughtful and extensive research makes it clear this is the right choice— at the right time—for our Customers, our People, and our Shareholders. We are excited to incorporate Customer and Employee feedback to design a unique experience that only Southwest can deliver. We have been building purposefully to this change as part of a comprehensive upgrade to the Southwest experience as we focus on Customer expectations – and it will unlock new sources of revenue consistent with our laser focus on delivering improved financial performance.”
Wi-Fi, Power outlet improvements
Besides these major changes, the carrier also announced other improvements such as faster Wi-Fi, in-seat power outlets, and improved overhead bin space.
While details are still limited, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them coming online in 2025 when their new cabins are expected to be introduced.
This is definitely a good move for Southwest financially speaking. The reality is that while open boarding worked well for the airline in the past, traveler preferences have changed over the years, especially after the pandemic, and many now prefer assigned seating and more legroom, among other things.
Airlines obviously have to find new ways to make money. This might be why there are also rumors of JetBlue considering introducing a scaled-down version of Mint class.
Featured image: Southwest Airlines
